A New Chapter
by DeKarbon
Summary: Captain Araclese, commander of the Blood Angels Fifth Company, sets out to cleanse a system of all Xeno infection. What he finds may change the fate of Humanity.
1. Prologue

Araclese counted his blessing for every time his boltgun shot true. He thanked the Emperor every time his armor allowed him one more second of life. This was to be his life, for the eternity of his service in the Imperium of Man. The Captain revved his chainsword as he awaited the Orks to rush the entrenched position.

"May you die in glory and carry the Emperor in your hearts." He said the same phrase to his Blood Angels every time battle encroached upon them. This time would probably be the last. Araclese felt the ground tremble and a faint echo of a battle cry.

"This is it, Brothers! Let their blood flow like the rivers!" The cry grew louder and louder as the Orks came closer. A large mass of green came out of the mist and the Space Marines opened up with their holy Bolters and plasma guns.

The Assault Marines shed the cover of the tranches firing their bolt pistols and severing any green body part they were able to swing at. Araclese followed them out onto the field screaming his rage at the ichor that splattered in his armor and face while he hacked away at the Greenskins.

The Captain soon found himself immersed in the green horde. He continued to fire his bolt pistol and swing his chainsword even though his enemies seemed endless. His vision soon became red tinted and his throat felt as though he had never stopped screaming.

He felt something hit his stomach, hard, and he was knocked backwards into several Orks and Space Marines. He revved his sword and swung it as hard as he could to his right. The sword caught, hopefully in an Ork's hide, and he used it to pull himself to his feet.

He revved the chain-teeth to free it from whatever it was it had caught in. Araclese slammed the butt of his bolt pistol into the temple of an Ork while he gutted another. An Ork's sloppy shot glanced off his shoulder, but it was enough to spin him around. His sword accidentally skidded off a Battle-Brother's arm halfway through the spin.

Araclese saw the explosion a split second before he felt it. The shockwave slammed into him, throwing him off his feet into a mass of Orks and Marines, and, for the second time within a minute, he felt how solid the ground really was. His ears rang with bells of the Holy Emperor himself as he started to stand. Araclese shot an Ork in the head as it tried to repeat what he had done.

He looked out across what was left of the field and saw several Battle-Brothers still doing battle against extremely resilient Orks. Then a Marine tossed a fragmentation grenade into their position, and they were decimated. Those that had tried to flee beforehand were cut down by the waiting Marines.

Araclese looked down and saw a Brother that had absolutely no hope of surviving long enough for an Apothecary to tend to him. He said a prayer for the Marine's soul, lifted his bolt pistol and fired. When he looked up he saw a Dreadnought thumping over the bodies on its way toward him. He turned to watch the last bit of mist clear away and the sun rising.

"Captain Araclese. We're needed aboard the Reaping Talon, immediately."

Araclese gestured at the field around him, "Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"There are more pressing issues elsewhere in the galaxy."

The Captain glared at the Dreadnought and said through gritted teeth, "Not when it comes to _our_ worlds, Jonas. They are always foremost."

"We have received word from scout ships that a Tyranid Hive fleet is making its way to this system."

Araclese's gaze drifted away from Jonas. "How many days until it infects our worlds?"

"The scout ships estimate one week, Captain. It is currently feeding on an Eldar system."

"Then we shall take the fight to them. We will cleanse the system before a single Imperial citizen is harmed."

"Yes, Captain. Their filth shall be expunged from the system and we shall take what is rightfully ours!"

Araclese nodded. "Yes. Commander Jorrar shall stay here to deal with the Orks as needed." A slight grin crossed his face, "We can't leave _all_ of the horde alone."

Jonas chuckled while Araclese watched the first rays of the newly dawning sun play across the stricken field. Several Marines from his fifth company were searching the field for the wounded and taking ammo and other supplies from the dead.

The Captain wished that this could be the last time he would see something like this, but he knew the Emperor had more planned for his destructive life.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Araclese watched, silently praying for the Astropath's soul as he went through his last throes of death. This was the first of two Librarians that had been killed by the Tyranid Hive Mind. Once the man was silent, the Brother-Captain walked towards the open bulkhead.

He stopped when he got just outside of the chamber. "How long before we are able to destroy any Tyranid scum?" A gray armored Apothecary stepped out to his side. "Four more hours at best, Captain. Depending on how hard the Xenos attempt to keep us from arriving, of course."

A grim smile spread across Araclese's face, "There is only one Astropath left. And he has begun to experience the same horrors as the others. Will he be able to live through this journey?"

"If it takes us any longer than a day to break through the Xenos blockade of the Warp, he will not survive."

Araclese nodded, and walked off down the corridor.

Senior Scout Aduran stared out the plexiglass viewport. It was all he could do, since one of the Initiates in his squad was holding him in a sleeper hold. He had been testing the Initiate to see how strong his hold was. So far, it had stayed lock-tight around his neck. It had been five minutes and sixteen seconds since the Initiate had finally gotten him in the hold, and he was determined to keep Aduran there.

He secretly readied himself for a countermove, not tensing or moving anything that was in his field of vision, or would he be able to feel it coming. Although he did know that it was coming, as that was inevitable, he did not know when or what weak spot Aduran would hit first, second, or third. Or if he would go for the weak spots at all.

Aduran felt the Initiate's grip relax, but only slightly, and he thrust himself up and forward. Once they were both on the ground, Aduran rolled on top of him, thrusting both of his elbows backward into his kidneys.

After several seconds of merciless assaults, the Initiate's grip relaxed enough for Aduran to slip his head out of the hold. He sprang up to his feet and dropped a knee into the soon-to-be warrior's chest, simultaneously striking him on the bridge of his nose with a fist.

To make sure the Initiate remembered this lesson, Aduran slammed his fist into his temple. It was also so he would not get up for a while, but that was Aduran's secret.

"That, my initiates, is how you escape from a sleeper hold. I doubt that your enemy will try anything like that without gutting you first, but I guess Aduran is a little bit more merciful towards his allies."

None of the Initiate's rose to the bait. So Aduran smiled as he stepped away from the writhing man.

Dellith stared at him, seemingly without emotion. But Aduran knew that it contained a fury that was only supposed to be unleashed upon his enemies.

"Help the Initiate up." Two other Initiates went to the aid of the groggy one. Aduran returned to Dellith's side and waited for him to be called for another demonstration of a Space Marine Scout's abilities.

"Initiates! You're dismissed." Aduran took a deep breath and stayed where he was, as he knew Dellith was going to unleash the rage that he was unable to keep pent up inside. Dellith turned and looked at him. "Leave, before my good heart listens to the dark words my thoughts are whispering to it."

Duran nodded, turned around sharply on his heel and walked away, out of the sparring chamber. Several Initiates were in the corridor, walking toward the mess hall. That was not his destination. He turned in the opposite direction toward a secluded area of the battle barge.

Where there was sure to be no Initiates in sight. Soon he came upon a dark chamber, which quickly became lighter due to his augmented vision. Two Sergeants and a Veteran Assault Marine were standing or sitting in different spots around the room.

"You're late."

"I know this. I had to perform demonstrations."

"Trying to pin the blame on Dellith?"

"No. I am the one who volunteered. He did not order me."

"Good."

"If you were a fully fledged Battle-Brother, you would never have to worry about the fate of the Initiates."

"Until they fell under your command."

"True. But that would not be for a while."

Aduran shook his head, "The future of the chapter should always be at the forefront of your worries."

"As should the next battle."

"We may not be of much use against the Tyranids."

"There are always harder to kill foes in the background, Aduran. That is our purpose, and so we will never fall out of disuse."

Aduran's gaze fell to the deck. "Do not worry. You are an irreplaceable part of our squad. As is everyone here." He locked eyes with Sergeant Mattenaeus.

"That is not my doubt Sergeant. I doubt that no matter how many of their leading caste we kill, there will always be ten more to take its place. I fear that our small four Marine squad will not be enough for the tasks we are given."

The Veteran jumped away from the crate he had been leaning against, his face contorted in rage. "Are you saying that we are not strong enough? That we will not be able to perform our duty to the Emperor?"

"No. Our duty to the Emperor will be fulfilled just by dying in battle, Brother Helian. I am saying that there will always be a limit to a Space Marine's powers."

"So you say that the Emperor did not have unlimited powers? As we all carry a gene-seed from the Emperor himself."

"Enough! This is no time to begin doubting our abilities. We will prevail in all tasks set forth by the Captain. No matter how high the climb may be, we will reach the top of the mountain."

The friction between Mattenaeus, Helian, and Aduran created a heat that felt like no other. It was almost as though one of them was a psyker, and his rage was boiling the air around him.

"Still your rage, and hold it for the Tyranid scum."

Aduran took a deep breath, and the air cooled. The Sergeant studied the man. There was something that even _he_ didn't know about the scout. About his past. But this was no time to dwell on speculations and wonders.

"We will be in the first pod down, along with the Captain and the Apothecary. As always we will not have any reinforcements until a foothold has been established and the Captain deems us in need of help."

Everyone seemed to have calmed down considerably now that they knew they were going to be of the first to kill the Xenos.

"And so when shall we be dropping?"

"Within a day or more." The four turned to see the Captain and an Apothecary standing just within the bulkhead. It was thankfully closed to prying eyes or ears.

"The Tyranids will never know what has killed them until after they find that they are dead."

"And the same can be said when our ends come."

Colian looked at the Scout and frowned. "Are you so set upon death that you wish it come for us all?"

"No." Aduran dared not go any further with his words in front of the Captain.

"Sergeant. Everything is prepared for battle?"

"All wargear is ready and waiting to be used, lord."

The Captain took one last look about the four men, his gaze lingering upon Aduran for a second longer than the others, then turned and walked away. The Apothecary stayed only for a moment longer, then the four men were alone with themselves again.

"Aduran. Are you sure that you have said all that you would like to say now?"

"Of course not. But I will not curse your ears with my hate-filled voice."

And, with that, the Scout was following the Captain and Apothecary's paths.

"Do you feel something about him that causes doubts?" Helian's voice had the slightest bit of a concerned tone in it.

"Yes. But we should hope that the Emperor and Sanguinius may help him along his path, and erase that which ails him."

"Let us not dwell on this. Things will come to pass, one way or another."

"Aye. And so shall the blood of a thousand of the Tyranids, before any other of our brethren set foot upon that world."

Grim smiles spread across all of their faces, but behind those facades, in their minds, they each held the same doubts that Aduran had voiced.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Geron kept pace with the Captain as he walked through the ship toward the bridge. The Apothecary's leg muscles burned. He had been on his feet for what would be a long time, even to an Astartes.

But, if the Captain wished it, he would stay on his feet for as long as was needed. The Captain reached the large brass doors to the bridge and pressed a rune on the edge of the portal. A second later, the quiet of the corridor was replaced with the low murmur of the bridge's servitors.

The Captain and the Apothecary stepped through and the first officer turned to greet them. He nodded and said, "Captain." He noticed the Apothecary as if for the first time, "Geron."

A spike of anger rose, then fell immediately. He knew the contempt his brother held for him well. He had been in nearly the same position only a few decades before. He dismissed it as just another mine being laid far down his path.

There would be a time to address it, but certainly not now.

"We shall soon be able to reap absolute destruction on the Tyranid hive fleet."

"How long now?" The Captain looked at the spiraling colors of the warp.

"Imminent, lord. We should make the transition in a few minutes."

The Captain continued to stare into the empyrean as he nodded. Geron stood off to his side and stared with him. It was beautiful and deadly all at the same time. And that was exactly why he hated it. The warp hid the daemons in its spirals, and if one were to find its way aboard this ship, it could wreak untold damage before they could even mount a half-hearted defense.

Which was why there was nothing half-hearted about the Adeptus Astartes. He was snapped from his thoughts when he realized that the Captain had turned his head and said something to him.

"What did you say, sir?"

"I asked if the warp calls to you, as it does me every time I look at it."

Geron thought about his answer for a moment, then said, "Yes, it does, Captain. But I have the ability to resist the false maiden's call."

Araclese turned back to the viewer, his face a mask, as always.

Geron stopped trying to read the man's mind at that, and his gaze drifted back towards the warp. Nearly as soon as he looked at the viewer, the warp spirals dissipated and revealed a brownish grey planet.

"Scanners have detected several small craft just off our prow, Captain!"

"Activate void shields and hold weapons on standby. What are they?"

"Eldar escort craft. They are holding where they are-"

"Sir! A communication coming from one of the Eldar craft! Text only."

"Put it on my data-slate."

Araclese looked down at his slate and text scrolled across it. He looked back up in a snarl at the communications officer.

"Translate it first, damned fool!"

The communications officer immediately tapped a few runes and resent the data.

Araclese looked again as text scrolled across the slate in a form he could read.

"You will not set foot upon our world, humans. If you have come to exterminate us, you will find only oblivion for yourselves. Leave before our mercy dwindles."

The Captain looked up from his slate to Keridan.

"No one threatens the Adeptus Astartes."

Keridan looked to the gun servitors and said, "Open fire."

Lances shot forth from the _Reaping Talon's_ guns, torpedoes following them shortly. The Eldar craft moved far faster than anything the Marines aboard the strike cruiser had ever dealt with, quickly opening up with their guns and circling around to flank them.

"Side batteries, open fire!"

The guns tracked the frigates as they made their way around, then fired their lances. Again, the Eldar frigates moved far faster than any lance could travel and they returned fire. The bridge shook as the xeno lances struck the void sheilds.

"Keep them at our fore! Fire everything we have!"

The _Reaping Talon_ twisted in space as it attempted to keep most of the frigates in front of it. Torpedoes launched from the forward bays and tracked their targets. Lances recharged and fired again and impacted against the Eldar's own shields with the torpedoes. The bridge shook again as the _Talon_ was hit in it's aft section.

Several of the lances and a few of the torpedoes made it through the closest frigates shields and tore huge rents in the hull. It began to slow and list onto the side.

"Don't let the beast lie." Araclese breathed. Lance fire soon engulfed the wounded frigate as the _Talon_ continued to follow another with it's fore guns. More lances struck against the aft portion and Geron had to grip a rail to stay upright. Keridan was thrown from the command pulpit down to the deck. The Captain simply stayed where he was as if he was lashed to the deck with magclamps.

Keridan quickly regained his footing and stepped back onto the pulpit.

Araclese was beginning to realize the mistake they had made by letting even one of the frigates behind them.

"What of our aft guns? Can they fire?"

Keridan glanced down at the screen on the cogitator and shook his head with a grim expression. "They have taken the most beating, sir. They are inoperable."

"Kill that last frigate in front of us, then shunt all power to the aft void shields. And get those damned guns running, if you can!"

Lances fired and torpedoes left contrails that quickly dissipated in the vacuum as they chased after the last frigate. Several lances impacted against its shields, but the torpedoes overshot and went past, exploding uselessly and giving more of an outline to the frigate.

"Aft void shields failing!" An explosion shook the bridge to punctuate his sentence.

"The aft guns have been hit! There is no way we will be hitting them while they're behind us."

Araclese shouted incoherently and made indents of his gauntlets on the railing. "Destroy that one, then use the attitude thrusters to flip us around!"

"Firing!"

More prow lances boiled through space toward the lone frigate in their way. They impacted against the frigate's failing void shields and ripped into the wraith-bone armor, destroying entire decks in one passing.

"Kill it before it fires again!" The captain was nearly ripping the railing from its stanchions. In response the _Talon_ twisted to present its port broadside weaponry, and the guns opened fire. Few torpedoes streaked away from the cruiser, but the amount of lances and cannon fire was a satisfying offset.

The eldar frigate was wreathed in fire as the cannon shots and lances boiled away all that was left of the outer hull and ripped out the inner decking. There would be no saving the frigate, as it was already dead.

A wretched smile split the captain's features as he watched secondary explosions cause more damage, then smiled even wider as the three torpedoes hit home. After that explosion, Araclese could only pick out small flashes of the dark bone-armor.

"Activating thrusters and turning us around, Captain." The central viewer panned away from the flashing remains. The hull creaked around them as it was strained by its own inertia. Geron spared a glance toward the captain, and his mouth was turned down in a scowl.

When Geron's gaze travelled back to the viewer, he caught a fleeting glimpse of the last eldar frigate as it sped out of the cruiser's sights.

"Can we get any guns on them?" Araclese looked over to Keridan as he read from the data slate.

"Only our torpedoes, but they have yet to be reloaded."

"Get them loaded, then! We don't have much more time!" Spittle flew from the captain's mouth. He relaxed his grip on the railing again before he ripped it free. His rage seethed below the surface, and it took a conscious effort for Araclese to calm himself down.

"Fire when ready." He stepped back from the railing and sat down into the command throne. "And get a blasted viewer on them."

The main view screen flicked and showed the frigate. The blunt nose neatly cut its way through the space in front of it, the wings stretching and convulsing with every meter it moved.

The Captain gripped the arms of the throne as a series of detonations rocked the cruiser. He stared at the view screen, his face once again its usual mask. There wasn't anything more he could do to kill the eldar wretches, besides ordering the crew to fire the torpedoes, and there was no use in letting his anger get the better of him.

Keridan turned to him and said, "Torpedo tubes are loaded, sir."

"Fire." He felt slight crumps through the command throne as the torpedoes were released into the void, and they immediately came into view on the screen, then just as quickly vanished as they tracked after the single remaining eldar frigate.

The bridge shook even more as the eldar frigate fired a final salvo against the _Reaping Talon_'s void shields. A calm swept over Araclese, his movements becoming deliberate and slow, just as the rest of the bridge seemed to have become. He stood and looked around the bridge. He felt the energy of the serfs and the Space Marines, but did not feel it course through him as it did them. It was as though a protective bubble had been thrown between him and them, stopping all flow of energy other than light.

He looked at his gauntlets and then lifted his head to the view screen. He was filled with something that he had never even thought of before. A longing for an end. He wanted to be done with war. To be done with fighting. To be done with dying. He knew this could not be, but he couldn't help but long to be finished with his duty.

He stopped himself. This was not a Space Marine's way of thinking. He looked out at the void again and he was filled with resolve. He could now feel the energy coursing through himself, branching out and enveloping the others as well. The longing for an end went away, washed away by his faith in the Emperor's purpose.

There would be no more room for doubt or thoughts of dying in his mind. He purged it all, using mind calming and controlling techniques taught to him by one of the greatest men in history. Chaplain Aurek had been his last true friend in the world, and he missed his guiding counsel dearly. There would never be another man like him in the future of the Blood Angels. Or at least in the future of the Captain.

His mind snapped back to the now and he watched as several torpedoes connected a trail of exhaust between the Strike Cruiser and the eldar frigate. Blossoms of fire erupted against the weakened shields and the hull. The frigate slowed and secondary explosions shot holes through the decking.

"End their torment."

The Strike Cruiser twisted so the prow faced the dying eldar frigate. Lance fire erupted from the batteries and ripped even more holes through the ship, leaving very little debris.

"Make way for the--"

"Incoming ships from the warp! Imperial Navy signatures!"

"Show me."

The screen flickered and showed a rent in the warp, an entire fleet of ships shooting away from it as though in fear of its power.

"Hail them."

"This is Admiral Garend of the Imperial Navy. We recieved a message from a Commander Jorrar that you might require assistance in your fight, Captain Araclese."

The Admiral's gaunt face replaced view of space. The Captain smiled faintly, "You just missed a bit of fun with the Eldar, Admiral. Hope you're ready to deal with a splinter from a Hive Fleet."

"Aye, we are. It isn't everyday that an Inquisitor asks us to aid an assault by the Adeptus Astartes, Captain."

"We'll head into the system now, and see what kind of capabilities they have. Hopefully we will be able to catch them while they are unprepared."

"Aye. Will you require any tech-adepts to aid in repairs?"

"Yes, thank you. We will need to have our guns fully operational to fight these beasts."

"If you would like, the Inquisitor and I will take a shuttle to you to develop a battle plan."

Araclese smiled again and said, "I'll see you when you arrive, Admiral."

The screen flickered back to the view of the fleet and he wathed as they drew themselves into a formation and began to move deeper into the system towards the _Reaping Talon_, which was slowly venting small amounts of crystalized atmosphere from the rear quarters. Araclese looked around the bridge at the serfs and Battle-Brothers.

"I might be glad that they didn't arrive until after we finished off the last eldar cruiser," Araclese said to the crew, then added, "And I think we really didn't need their help with the Hive Fleet." The serfs looked around at him, shocked until they saw the smile that was on his face, and they too shared a moment of happiness.

"Status on the void shields."

"The fore shields are nearly fully charged, and the aft shields are at half capacity. We will need some time to recharge them."

"The hull breeches in the aft section are being patched, and soon we will be able to take the Hive Fleet on, sir."

"Good. Prepare an honour guard in the launch bay and wait for the Admiral's and Inquisitor's arrival."

He stood and moved toward the hatch as Keridan said, "At once, Captain."

Araclese left the bridge and made his way towards the launch bay. He might actually have fun killing the Tyranids.


End file.
